An overlooked fact is that Craig Mack was actually the first artist to officially join Bad Boy Records. While Puffy and Biggie were definitely close, Craig Mack got things started. The label’s first releases came from Craig Mack, starting with “Flava In Ya Ear.”

A catchy, but street, track, “Flava In Ya Ear” became a major hit, and then ended up with a huge remix. The remix saw Notoroius B.I.G., rap legend, LL Cool J, along with Busta Rhymes and Rampage jump on. It wasn’t long, though, before Craig Mack was forgotten.

Craig Mack left Bad Boy Records, but returned in 2001, even making a cameo in the “I Need A Girl” music video. Not long after, he left again, reuniting during the Bad Boy reunion shows. There were rumors of hard times falling on Craig Mack, who lived in South Carolina, and had gotten involved in the church.

Unfortunately, this morning, the world woke up to news about Craig Mack dying of heart failure. There has been an outpour of support, in his memory. Doing our part, Hip-HopVibe.com collected a couple of videos, from Craig Mack’s biggest tracks, and appearances.